After a fire tore through the Mouth of the South restaurant early Wednesday morning, people in the tight-knit Florence community are heartbroken.
Enzo Zurlo owns Enzo's Italian restaurant across the street from Mouth of the South, and is friends with owner Ryan Ernst. "He's one of the reasons I moved to Florence because, ya know, he's so successful and just raved about the community and how supportive the people are."
Zurlo says his phone started ringing early Wednesday morning and thought a staff member was calling out sick, but instead people were calling about the fire. "Coming down 30th Street to see the flames and the smoke from at least a mile away was just like 'Oh my god.' I couldn't get here fast enough to see what I could do."
Zurlo has spoken with Ernst to let him know that he will do anything he can to help. "As far as the community, ya know, we just need to stick together and support him because he kinda started the revitalization of the neighborhood. We're gonna do whatever we can to help him out, that's for sure."
Although many in the community are devastated over the fire, Zurlo knows this is not a swan song. "Florence is trying to make a comeback and something like this is not going to stop us."